Other unloved sector ETFs include the Industrial Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLI), which experienced $2.8 billion in outflows, and Consumer Staples Select SPDR (NYSEArca: XLP), which saw $2.3 billion in outflows. [Don’t Expect Much From This Sector ETF in 2016]
Given the low inflation outlook, expected Federal Reserve rate hikes and rising U.S. dollar, investors pulled $2.1 billion from SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEArca: GLD). [Gold ETFs Dither After Fed Raises Rates]
Investors also yanked $2.0 billion from the broad small-cap ETF, iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEArca: IWM), which tracks the Russell 2000 index.
The emerging markets were also shunned by investor this year, with the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEArca: VWO) and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEArca: EEM) seeing $6.6 billion and $2.8 billion in redemptions, respectively. This suggests that investors have been more confident in developed economies this year as volatility continued to shake global markets and ahead of a Fed interest rate hike that would cause investors to exit riskier emerging countries.
For more in formation on the ETF space, visit our ETF performance reports category.
Full disclosure: Tom Lydon’s clients own shares of QQQ and XLP.
Max Chen contributed to this article.